Many different types of sifting devices, including mesh screens, have been used in the past for the purpose of sifting through and separating one material from another. Generally, these mesh screens contain openings for allowing one material (with smaller particle size) to pass through the screen while the other material (with larger particle size) is to be retained by the screen.
One type of material that regularly needs sifting is pet litter. Pet litter comes in many different formulations configured to absorb excrement, including urine and fecal matter, in a manner that reduces odor, minimizes animal contact, and facilitates disposal. Pet litter is made of a mixture of varying sized particles that typically have a maximum width or diameter of about two or three millimeters. Commercially available litters include clumping litters made of granulated bentonite, such as calcium bentonite, quartz-bentonite mixture, or silica-based litters made of a silica gel or silica crystal.
Pet waste scoops, also referred to as litter scoops, have long been used to sift pet litter to separate pet waste containing fecal matter and litter that has absorbed excrement from unspent litter. Many configurations of litter scoops are available and all require that the litter be scooped in a retaining pan portion of the litter scoop and then the litter scoop is turned sideways or pivoted forwardly to dump the contents from the pan portion. As the pan portion fills with contents, it must be constantly emptied since the contents will generally move off the pan portion when attempting to scoop other material from the litter box.
In view of the prior art, there remains a need for a scooping pan that can easily and conveniently be used to separate contaminated from uncontaminated material, and which pan can be used to easily and conveniently separate waste material (e.g., pet refuse, urine clumps, etc.) from uncontaminated litter in a litter box.